Marijuana plant varieties (Cannabis setiva, Cannabis indica, Cannabis rederalis, etc.) contain a variety of compounds, the major psychoactive compound being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Other compounds include a variety of additional cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), which is less psychoactive than THC and believed to have a wider scope of medical applications. Numerous publications report analgesic, antiemetic, and anti-glaucomal effects, among others as resulting from CBD. While typically used recreationally, THC has also been shown to be an effective analgesic, antiemetic, and useful in treating nausea and attendant effects of cancer chemotherapy.
Administration of cannabinoids has evolved over time from the inhalation of marijuana combustion byproducts (i.e., smoking) to oral consumption of marijuana when combined with foods, or the oral consumption of cannabinoid compounds (such as THC and other cannabinoids) in extracted pill form. Additionally, transdermal patches, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,532 have been developed and used in the art. These methods of administration are disfavored however.
When inhaling combustion byproducts, users cannot regulate the percentage of individual cannabinoids entering the lungs. Additionally, undesirable irritating, and potentially toxic or carcinogenic are produced and inhaled as well. The use of orally consumed products such as pills allows users to adjust the quantity of a given cannabinoid ingested, but is disfavored due to the delay of cannabinoid effects caused by the digestive system. Additionally, many marijuana users prefer the mimicry of smoking conferred by inhalation for personal and social reasons. While a transdermal patch may be an effective way of time-releasing a known quantity of particular cannabinoids into the blood stream, this method suffers from drawbacks similar to orally ingested pills, including a lack of social interaction.
For these reasons, there is a need for a cannabinoid composition possessing a predetermined quantity of THC and CBD (in addition to other cannabinoids) for users to obtain a desired recreational, medical or combined effect. There is also a need for an administration technique that allows users to control the quantity of cannabinoids administered through an inhalation apparatus that avoids simple combustion.